or, The Value of Free Time
I am thinking a lot about my writing at the moment, or lack of it. The poetry slam last night inspired me, and tonight we went to see Kevin Mackenzie tell his stories for children at the library. Miranda LOVED it, especially because we met Carolina and the other children from her daycare there. Mackenzie was very good and pitched it just right so that the few noisy eight year olds in the audience enjoyed it as much as Miri and her little crew. His stories were very, very simple, but infinitely variable depending on the mood of the kids, and also involved a lot of silly noises, gestures and actions to copy. Repetitively. The guy also seemed to have a rubber face – it was very like watching a cartoon, which was obviously key to engaging Small People!
Inevitably we couldn’t leave the library without borrowing more books and DVDs. Fortunately I found Shaun the Sheep on DVD because nowadays even the mere sound of Elmo’s voice makes me want to do unspeakably violent things to any or all Sesame Street residents. There are some good books there though and I have been very careful in selecting ones that I think I will be able to read to her over and over ad nauseum. Like the Sheep adventures. Sheep in Space, Sheep go for a Hike, Sheep in a Jeep, Sheep out to Eat etc etc They are all done in rhyme and they are lovely. Other books, however, are truly, utterly terrible. Like the “Blue’s Clues” series, which unfortunately Miri adores. Blue is a blue dog who lives with Joe, inexplicably goes to school and makes cheese sandwiches for her best friend, who is cat called Periwinkle. Joe has a frighteningly manic grin, his Mommy dresses him funny and he talks to the salt and pepper pots. Frankly, Joe ought to be in a home for Special Kids and Blue should never be allowed off the leash in public.
I keep thinking, I ought to be able to write something better than that drivel. I even have Ideas for a few stories for Miranda. I can’t do storytelling off the cuff like Kevin Mackenzie, I’d need to write it down first, and sadly, I really, really cannot draw. I also have absolutely no time at the moment in which to even attempt it. Being on my feet all day at work, followed by having to feed Miri then fight her in to bed on my own every night means that by the time she is asleep, I have virtually no evening to myself, and no energy to do anything sensible in the brief time I do get. Also I have the added guilt of still having to do PhD revisions……
gah.
sigh.
Soon. Soon, I will get my head straight and get organised. Soon, Carl will be here and then I will get some help with Miri. Yus indeedy. Until then, this blog in all its stream-of-consciousness waffling, typo-filled psychobabble, will have to be my only form of Storytelling.
The Regina Monologue 